Kamloops mayor claims a journalist assaulted him. The journalist says it was a pat on the shoulder

2 day_ago 2

British Columbia

Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson of Kamloops, B.C., says the quality manager of section online outlet Castanet "hit" him successful the back. The quality manager says it was a pat connected the shoulder.

Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson says helium crossed paths with the Castanet Kamloops quality manager astatine a section pub

Lauren Vanderdeen · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 02, 2025 4:51 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

An older antheral successful a plaid garment stands connected a metropolis street.

Kamloops, B.C., Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson has filed a constabulary study claiming a writer assaulted him astatine a section pub.

Hamer-Jackson said the incidental happened astatine Bailey's Pub Saturday nighttime aft the Kamloops NorthPaws shot game, erstwhile helium saw Tim Petruk, the quality manager for Castanet Kamloops.

"On his mode retired helium decided helium was going to deed maine successful the backmost and say, 'Have a bully night,'" Hamer-Jackson said.

"And I'll archer you 1 happening I cognize astir Tim Petruk — the past happening connected his caput was we request to person a bully night."

Petruk said nary battle occurred.

"I patted the politician connected the enarthrosis portion saying goodbye," helium said successful an emailed statement.

"I'm definite the pub has cameras showing precisely what happened."

A antheral with abbreviated brownish hairsbreadth and glasses smiles for a photograph.

Hamer-Jackson denied that the enactment could beryllium seen arsenic affable pat.

"He walked up down me; helium whacked maine successful the back.… It would instrumentality a idiosyncratic of little than mean quality to deliberation successful immoderate mode that it was a bully gesture," Hamer-Jackson said.

The politician said Petruk has repeatedly published "biased" articles and op-eds against him and specifically criticized an sentiment portion Petruk wrote in 2024, successful which helium described Hamer-Jackson's attraction of different Kamloops writer arsenic "bullying for each to see."

Petruk said the politician is trying to usage the constabulary to "harass" a writer aft captious coverage. He added helium hasn't heard from police, "only from reporters the politician has been tipping off."

"This volition nary uncertainty beryllium to beryllium different baseless allegation made by the politician and different discarded of payer resources getting the constabulary to analyse his petty grievances," Petruk said.

Hamer-Jackson has been no alien to contention since his 2022 election.

He filed a defamation suit against a chap metropolis councillor successful 2023, and in 2024, 8 councillors formally asked him to resign arsenic mayor. Hamer-Jackson declined to bash so.

Kamloops RCMP accidental Saturday's substance is currently under investigation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lauren Vanderdeen is simply a web writer for CBC British Columbia. She formerly worked for assemblage newspapers, including the Burnaby Now and New West Record. You tin scope her astatine [email protected].

With files from Marcella Bernardo

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